The Farm Hack River of Activity

<p> In some cases, more detail is needed.</p> <p> *&nbsp; Ipad:&nbsp; I have found that the screen is impossible to read in daylight -- difficult in full shade.&nbsp; This is true for the iPhone too.&nbsp; Larger fonts, and doing work that requires these tools on overcast days or dawn/evening helps.&nbsp; But this makes the tool less useful. (In general a screen that works from reflected light instead of back lighting is much easier to use in daylight.)</p> <p> * Square-Up -- big win here. While they charge more (2.25 to 2.75%) than other credit card brokers,&nbsp; there is no monthly fee.&nbsp; You would have to take in more than 120K/year by credit card before a conventional account is a win.&nbsp; You need an internet connection to run a charge.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> * Ag-Squared.&nbsp; Tried it when it was in Beta.&nbsp; I saw this as having a lot of potential for small scale farmers that grow lots of different crops.&nbsp; E.g. Truck farmers.&nbsp;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> <strong>Other stuff</strong></p> <p> *<em> Google Sheets</em> (part of google apps)&nbsp; I run my tree farm with a 12 tab google spreadsheet:&nbsp; It has raw inventory, inventory summary, list of trees, vendor orders, customer orders. Big win Same file can be open on multiple computers.&nbsp; I can take an order on the phone, mark it in red.&nbsp; Laura can enter it into the accounting, remark it in black, all at the same time. If she has a question, she marks in it blue.&nbsp; Means I have to deal with it.&nbsp; Requires full time internet connection.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> * <em>Filemaker Pro</em>&nbsp; (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android?) This is an expensive solution (about $500) and requires that you learn how to program filemaker.&nbsp; It's very mousy.&nbsp; If you use Microsoft Access you can learn FMP.&nbsp; The Big Win is the ability to generate an iPad/iPhone app.&nbsp; This app can be used disconnected from the internet, and it will reconnect when you come home.&nbsp; This has good potential for inventory, for time management (E.g. mark when employees arrive/depart)</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> * <em>OmniFocus (</em>Mac, iOS)&nbsp; Todo list on steroids.&nbsp; Not quite a full blown project manager.&nbsp;&nbsp; Lists can have sublists.&nbsp; E.g.&nbsp; Projects can have "Woodshed" "Greenhouse" "Powerline"</p> <p> Then under Powerline "Clear cutline" "Get poles"&nbsp; "Get Wire" "Dig Holes" "Put up poles"&nbsp; "String Wire"</p> <p> Any given task in a list can be given a priority.&nbsp; A given list can be a mix of things that have to be done in sequence (Get poles has to come before put up poles) or in parallel (Doesn't matter if buying poles or wire come first)&nbsp; Tasks can be given due dates/alarms.&nbsp; Tasks can also be given a location, and it will remind you of things when you get close to them.&nbsp; Handy for shopping tasks. Tasks can be one shot, or recurring.&nbsp; E.g. Weed survey every two weeks.</p> <p> Available as a Mac App too.&nbsp; The desktop version is somewhat more capable -- you can create complex dependent task lists on the desk that you can't on the iPhone. But you can still read/checkoff them on the phone.&nbsp; Last time I looked the desktop app was $80, the iOS app was $20</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> <strong>Gotchas</strong></p> <p> In many cases apps are cloud based:&nbsp; You need an internet connection to use them.&nbsp; In much of western Canada cell coverage in rural landscapes ranges from non-existent to poor.&nbsp; At my farm I get 1 or 2 bars most of the time.&nbsp; This will allow phone calls, but it takes 2 minutes to connect and check my email.</p>

<p> I don't quite see how the heat tape fits into everything.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> Could you add pictures?</p>

Some testing here indicates that two-way time-of-flight measurement won't work with XBees. I suspect it has a lot to do with:

• The frequency band is used by a lot of other devices, requiring non-deterministic noise "abatement".
• The way the XBee's radios seem to work doesn't lend themselves to time-of-flight measurement.
• A few other factors that I'm not sure about.

<p> I updated this tool to relate to a branch listed here <a href="http://farmhack.org/tools/sweet-box-germination-chamber-v20">http://farmhack.org/tools/sweet-box-germination-chamber-v20</a></p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> that uses a simplified temperature and humidity control using slow cookers.</p>

<p> One classic pedal powered machine is Rodale's "Energy Cycle" in "Pedal Power In Work, Leisure and Transportation"</p> <p> http://farmhack.org/sites/default/files/forum/Pedal_Power_In_Work_Leisure_And_Transportation_1977.pdf</p> <p> Relevant chapter starts on pdf pg 67.</p>

<p> It's hard to beat the maul. See:</p> <p> www.pssurvival.com/ps/Firewood/Splitting_Firewood_1981.pdf</p> <p> There are hand powered versions:</p> <p> http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ton-hydraulic-log-splitter-67090.html</p> <p> Maybe you could modify it to use hands and feet a la NordicTrack</p> <p> https://www.nordictrack.com/fitness/en/NordicTrack/Skiers/nordictrack-classic-pro-skier</p> <p> (and get in shape for cross country skiing at the same time)</p> <p> and foot powered hydraulic piston pumps:</p> <p> http://www.enerpac.com/en/news/lightweight-hydraulic-foot-pump</p> <p> You could attach two to get a "Stairmaster" hydraulic pump similar to treadle water pumps:</p> <p> http://www.kickstart.org/products/super-moneymaker/</p> <p> http://treadlepump.blogspot.com/<br /> &nbsp;</p>

We now have a Search box for this on the Forum page :)

I'll give that one a try. During the coldest days of our winters, the water I bucket to my sheep freezes over in minutes. Once there is snow on the ground, the sheep don't pay nearly as much attention to the water. Unfortunately, when there is no snow and they are eating hay, their water consumption is high. That is the limiting factor on my flock size.

Hi acko,

I've been evaluating the designs for hydroponics on the http://www.spacebuckets.com/ site. "Space Buckets" sounds kind of crazy but there is a lot of very modular/portable/efficient/space-effective designs being iterated there. On the topic of controlling water flow, "solenoid valve" is the keyword. Different valves run on different voltages which would require different "relays" that run a matching voltage. Lots of wiring required there. But I must say, I crave a plug and play solenoid valve. Ever heard of Universal Serial Bus (USB)? Solenoid manufacturers haven't ;-). There might be a market there. 

- RJ

I was looking in on a discussion on HomesteadingToday a while back, and a tinkerer addressed the geared-reduction issue. This guy said he'd come up with a solution applicable to a number of projects: kitchen mixer motors/gear sets. Remember there are both the common rather puny ones for home kitchens, and heavier-duty ones made for commercial kitchens and even industry.  Advantages: variable speed controls, & solid gear reduction - and the guy said, also, easy to mount and use.  The guy said he got some sort of a "Mix Master'" from eBay for $25.

Remember, these are motors and reduction gears that are joined together - and that could be an advantage.  Otherwise, you'd be working out the specifics of mounting.  I must say I was shocked to see brand new gear-reduction boxes selling in the $500-1000 range.

Back to the HT guy and what he recommended: besides eBay, he recommended restaurant-supply providers (new & used equipment, often) - industrial cooking supply.

Another thing he mentioned that might possibly be adapted is an electric drill (think of h.d. half-inch-drive D-handled drills with lots of power, not cordless compact ones).  Again, will supply you with geared reducer sets/housings.  You'd have to work out the mounting.

Good luck.

Do you offer these for sale? If so, what is the price and where are you located?

 

thanks

 

I likewise don't know anything about gear reducers but this seems to be similar to the one Versaland is referring to. 

We used the tarps to kill covercrops in the spring prior to the first plantings. It enabled reduced tillage and weed pressure - especially for the first month. We used both black and white ones, and they both worked, but I suspect that the black ones are a bit faster.